Rahotep (vizier)

Rahotep , also Parahotep, was a vizier of the ancient Egyptian king ( pharaoh ) Ramses II (* approx. 1298 BC; † July 19, 1213 BC).

Rahotep probably came from the Fayum area , where he was buried. He was the son of the late High Priest of Ptah Pahemnetjer and was probably under Seti I was born. Rahotep has been attested in the office of northern vizier since the second decade of Ramses II's reign . He was also high priest of Ptah and high priest of Heliopolis . He received both posts at the end of his life. His wife was Heli, daughter of the high priest of Onuris Minmose, whereby Rahotep was linked to another important family in the country.

Numerous monuments have been preserved from this vizier. Eventually, at the end of his career, Rahotep was appointed high priest of Ptah. The older research assumed two viziers , since there are five jars of this vizier and a person usually only had four of these. However, recent research sees him as only one person, although there is still no real unanimity on this topic. Rahotep's grave was found near Sedment , at the entrance to the Fayum. The complex was already very destroyed when it was excavated in 1921. It consisted of an above-ground chapel, richly decorated with columns, reliefs and statues. The underground burial chambers contained various burials, including the sarcophagi of Rahotep and his wife.

literature

Dietrich Raue : A vizier of Ramses' II. In: Heike Guksch, Daniel Polz (Ed.): Stations. Contributions to the cultural history of Egypt. Phillipp von Zabern, Mainz 1998, pp. 341-352.
Christine Raedler: The viziers of Ramses' II - networks of power. In: Rolf Gundlach, Andrea Klug (ed.): The Egyptian kingship in the field of tension between domestic and foreign policy in the 2nd millennium BC BC (= royalty, state and society of early high cultures. Volume 1). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2004, ISBN 3-447-05055-1 , pp. 277-416 (pp. 354-375 Rahotep).
Henning Franzmeier: News from Parahotep - The finds from the grave of the vizier in the Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago. In: G. Neunert, K. Gabler, A. Verbovsek (eds.): Nekropolen: Grab - Bild - Ritual, contributions of the second Munich working group Young Egyptology (MAJA 2). (= Göttingen Orient Research. Volume 54). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2013, pp. 63–64.

Individual evidence

^ Jacobus van Dijk: Stela of Prahotep. In: Carol AR Andrews, Jacobus van Dijk (Ed.): Objects for Eternity. Egyptian antiquities from the W. Arnold Meijer collection. von Zabern, Mainz 2006, ISBN 3-8053-3651-9 , pp. 150–152, no. 2.43.
↑ William Matthew Flinders Petrie , Guy Brunton: Sedment. Volume 2 (= British School of Archeology in Egypt and Egyptian Research Account. 1921, 35, ZDB -ID 991516-3 ). British School of Archeology in Egypt et al., London 1924, pp. 28-31.

personal data
SURNAME	Rahotep
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Parahotep
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Egyptian vizier under Ramses II.
DATE OF BIRTH	14th century BC BC or 13th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	13th century BC BC or 12th century BC Chr.

[1] Jacobus van Dijk: Stela of Prahotep. In: Carol AR Andrews, Jacobus van Dijk (Ed.): Objects for Eternity. Egyptian antiquities from the W. Arnold Meijer collection. von Zabern, Mainz 2006, ISBN 3-8053-3651-9 , pp. 150–152, no. 2.43.

[2] William Matthew Flinders Petrie , Guy Brunton: Sedment. Volume 2 (= British School of Archeology in Egypt and Egyptian Research Account. 1921, 35, ZDB -ID 991516-3 ). British School of Archeology in Egypt et al., London 1924, pp. 28-31.